


Radiance

by CoffeeCats



Series: Hollow Destiny AU [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games), Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: but y'know... my canon now, hollow destiny au, i realized while writing this i know absolutely nothing about the radiance, or about markoth, takes place alongside "Worms"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 17:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeCats/pseuds/CoffeeCats
Summary: The Radiance feels the Worm's arrival.





	Radiance

Something uneasy tapped at the edge of her mind, almost unnoticed at first. Her advisor was discussing upcoming meetings and schedules and agreements, but she slowly found her attention drawn elsewhere.

The sensation had grown from a gentle uneasiness to the feeling of prey caught in the vision of a predator. Something knew she was here.

She frowned. No, that wasn’t right. It knew the _Light_ was here.

It was probing, investigating, and in doing so had revealed itself to the Light and through it to her.

Carefully, without knowing what she was doing, she tried probing back. Delicate touches like she once did with her own feet to test the leaves she was landing on, though now done entirely ethereally. Investigations done in a plane shifted slightly from the physical using a sense she didn’t entirely understand.

What she found was cold – painfully frigid, even – and needle sharp and hungry. Metaphysical teeth grazed the edges of her Light and she recoiled with mind and body.

“—alright?”

A hand touched her own and she startled, grounded suddenly within her own body once again. Lu stood before her, looking concerned.

“Radiance?”

She realized she was painfully tense and trembling. Her hands quickly folded into her robes as she took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself.

“Apologies, I was—” she trailed off, not sure how to explain what just happened. She wasn’t entirely sure what had happened herself. “I was distracted. What were we talking about?”

Lu didn’t look convinced, but didn’t press the issue. “The contract with Atta. We received word this morning that her workers would be able to begin moving the Spire within two days. With constant shift work it could be moved to the temple in two weeks.”

 _Oh…_ The Radiance sighed and massaged the side of her head with one hand.

Intrepid scouts had found the Spire shortly after she’d founded the city here – a gleaming, fractured pillar of tangible Light lodged in a hidden cavern. The Light had granted them thoughts and dreams and warmth in the cold dark ground – to have found a physical manifestation of it was nothing short of a miracle.

As soon as word of its discovery had made it back, plans had started being made to move it somewhere safer and more accessible for those who wanted to see it, touch it, worship it. The moths, however, weren’t experienced with such physical labor as moving a massive, delicate object across long distances. Thus, negotiations had been opened with the neighboring colony of clever ants. Atta had agreed to lend the workers and engineers on the condition that the temple be located midway between them and that trade routes be opened. It was a humble and mutually beneficial condition, so the Radiance had readily agreed. Plans were drafted, logistics were considered, and both were revised again and again and again until both parties were sure they were perfect.

Now, though…

The Radiance dropped her hand. She could feel the worry radiating from Lu and she kept her gaze cast down as she considered her options.

It wouldn’t do to completely renege on the agreements, but with the cold, hungry force that had drawn near, she wasn’t sure it was wise to bring the Spire closer. If asked, she wouldn’t be able to explain why she thought so, but she suspected the Light itself knew something she didn’t.

They could relocate the temple, but that would require a massive effort on Atta’s part. Perhaps they could keep a retinue of armed guards? Few moths knew the art of combat, but perhaps between those few and some of Atta’s own warriors they could train a respectable force.

“I need to speak with Atta. Send word ahead that there’s been an unexpected complication and that she is not to begin moving the Spire yet.”

Lu’s confusion was obvious, but she swept it aside as she gave a small bow. “Of course, Radiance. Anything else?”

Somewhere beyond the range of hearing, she could feel a song, if it could be called that. The teeth had moved off somewhere else, near enough to still be felt, but far enough to be only a blurry impression. In the wake of their discomfort came the pained, mournful song that rattled her down to her very core. She didn’t know what it meant, but she could feel the Light reacting within her and she knew it was dangerous.

Disjointed images of movement and sharp angles flashed through her mind’s eye and she blinked, focusing inward. They resolved into clearer pictures of figures flowing through strict movements and forms, creating weapons of Light and Will, and she understood.

“Radiance?” Lu’s voice was soft, tinted with concern again.

The Radiance grasped her hand briefly in silent reassurance. “I’m alright, but please send Markoth to me. I need to discuss something with him.”

“Of course.” Lu gave her hand a single squeeze before sweeping out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, the Radiance gave a shaky sigh and slouched into her seat. It had been naïve, of course, to think things would be peaceful and kind forever, but while she had expected unrest or jealousy amongst her own, this new danger was entirely unknown. Even with the Light’s seeming attempts to help, she worried – her people looked to her for guidance and protection and she would need to figure out how to ensure both.


End file.
